I Heard you Scream
by dib07
Summary: "I heard you screaming! You were in such pain! Do you think you can block me so easily? So perfectly? Do you consider me weak, mou hitori no boku? Do you think me too fragile to protect you as you protect me?" Follow up from: Kiss Will Kill Me. Commissioned by a friend.


I Heard You Scream

By Dib07

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Commissioned for: OMGImSoBoredLike on deviant art

**A/N: Followed up from the story 'Kiss Will Kill Me' - this can be found in my profile**

**Contains puzzleshipping ^^**

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Yami returned to the Motou residence feeling dirty and ashamed. Yugi's grampa waved him a welcome hello before turning back to his customers at the counter: enabling Yami to slip on through the back to their private living quarters. This suited the pharaoh perfectly well. The last thing he needed was for anyone to see him, especially after what had happened.

His legs were still sore and his back hurt. His wrists too that had been manacled to the bed felt like thorns were sawing into the flesh. Now, the pharaoh was a strong man, but this recent attack had made his inner walls collapse fragment by fragment. At present he just wanted to sleep, and sleep for a very long time. He had been subjected to hate, malice and torture. Rape was only one consequence out of many. Kaiba was a man of many vendettas. And Yami had serviced them all.

Dumping Yugi's school bag on the boy's bed in his bedroom, Yami prepared to switch back in all preparation to hide away, and when he didn't feel a connection, he glowered at the wall in front of him, perplexed and a little upset. Why wasn't he feeling Yugi's energies responding in kind? Usually collaboration was in effect, enabling them to switch seamlessly. And Yami was desperate to vanish into his comforting tomb of doors.

Unnerved, Yami sat at Yugi's desk and concentrated inwardly: his spirit seeking darker depths. When he awoke, he was standing in the corridor between their soul rooms. His door to the right was the same as it had ever been: closed against all with the Egyptian eye marked in the top centre like a guardian: judging all those who stood before it. Yugi's was to the left and it was always open: always welcoming. This time however, Yami was taken aback. For the first time since he had ever known his Aibou, the door to his light soul room was shut.

Yami sprinted towards it: his hand coming to rest on the handle. Coldness emanated from within, and his hand was bitten by ice.

But still he did not deviate.

"Aibou!"

He threw the door open, his heart pounding. His eyes widened in dismay. For within was not the soul room he had known and cherished. There were no toys on the floor: they had been swept up and stored in dark boxes on the shelves, and the haphazard furniture had been neatened and straightened with military practicality. Also, the walls, floor and corners were tinged a deepest dark. Shadows crawled over the bed like whispers of fatality. This was where the cold was coming from.

Shaken but not daunted, Yami stepped inside, calling for his small charge.

Yugi stepped out into the vague light of what remained of his entire soul room, but when he raised his eyes to regard his pharaoh; his eyes were glittery with sadness, and bleak with ugly knowledge.

"Aibou? What has happened? What...?" But Yami could not get another word past his lips.

Yugi said sharply: "I heard you screaming."

_What?_

Yami stood still, confusion and revelation storming together to create denial. Yugi could not have sensed or seen what had happened between him and Kaiba, surely? If he had, the repercussions would be terrible. Yugi was the innocent one: the pure soul that gave Yami strength, courage and above all purpose. This could not be!

"Aibou, I didn't scream. Nothing happened."

Yugi looked at him directly, tears pooling in his eyes until they ran down his soft cheeks in rivulets. "Then why did you try to block me?"

"Because... because..."

"You've never lied to me, Yami. So why are you doing so, now?" He took a step forwards. Yami took a step back. Seeing his darker half retreat in shame and fear only made the tears come faster. "I heard you screaming! You were in such pain! Do you think you can block me so easily? So perfectly? Do you consider me weak, mou hitori no boku? Do you think me too fragile to protect you as you protect me?"

"Aibou... listen..."

"No, you listen to me. You are a part of me, as I am a part of you. You can never hide _anything_ from me."

Yami was stunned and morally defeated.

How much had Yugi seen – heard – felt? All of it? Or only some of it?

Yami hung his head in disgrace. A little was enough to both horrify and upset his small partner. What had he done?

Yugi advanced and went to take hold of Yami's arm. The Pharaoh tensed up, his thoughts set on resisting, but Yugi's adamant touch was dire. He led Yami inwards, deeper into his cold soul room and led him to the only spot of warmth in the chamber. It was beside the bed where some toys had not been put away. With Yugi tugging on his sleeve, Yami got the message and sat down. Even as a spirit, he could still see the hurt the manacles had left on his wrists. He hated himself for what had happened, and thought that Yugi was better off without him. Leaving Yugi was the only way forward. He attracted danger: he attracted malice and ill harm.

Leaving Yugi was the only thing he was good for.

But Yugi must have sensed these intentions, for he cried: "Don't you dare!"

"But Aibou, what good have I brought you?"

Yugi hugged him tight and felt the darker spirit trembling. "Why do you blame yourself for what has happened?"

"If it wasn't for me, Kaiba would never have gone near you. It's me he revels in, me he deems worthy as an opponent. Me he finds to hurt." His third eye began to glow. "Mayhap it is better if I erase your memories. That way you'll stay safe."

"Our memories are the cement that binds us. It makes us stronger, right? Besides, _you'd_ still have to live with the memories. How could you torture yourself so? This isn't your fault! I want to share everything with you, the good and the bad!"

His third eye faded away again. "Your innocence has been blackened! How can I reverse what I've done?"

"It's you I care about! It's you that tore me up inside! Can't you see? Why is your heart so closed?"

Yami embraced Yugi finally, and let his brittle guard drop away. Yugi snuggled into him and began to cry onto his chest: glad of Yami's release to him, and upset of the tragedy that had fallen upon the unassuming pharaoh: a pharaoh who had little to no idea how evil the modern world could be. But the truth was, there would always be monsters, no matter what the timeline.

Yami cuddled Yugi close and never wanted to let him go. Kaiba had had his way, and had relished in tormenting the Game King, but his poisonous touch had failed to rent the bond shared between Yami and Yugi.

"Yami?" Yugi asked after sometime in his arms. Arms that neither of them released from the other.

"Yes, Aibou?"

"Sleep in my soul room tonight. Please, you must. I cannot have you resting alone in your dark room after what was done to you."

As Yami remained in Yugi's embrace, the room began to feel warmer and lighter. Yugi's trust was opening out again, and his icy defence was melting. Yami wanted to shrink away into his own soul room like a beaten man, but Yugi's warm invitation was not to be denied.

Yugi rose and closed his door to keep out the dark of the corridor. Yami felt awkward, now sitting on his protégé's bed. He felt like an intruder here, but the warmth was encouraging and also healing. He had forgotten all about the blood that had dried to his legs and the pain laced to his wrists. His heart was still sore and damaged, but it seemed that Yugi knew what to do. Yami mused that it was because Yugi had been bullied enough in his life to find inner strength when he needed it. Yami had never chosen to rely on such a thing. He was used to unleashing his dark powers, and the crux of his gaming majesty to worry about power doing anything other than strengthening its user. But Yugi had adopted other ways.

Yami always knew he'd earn Yugi's respect and forgiveness, no matter what he did. Yami felt wicked, all the same. Yes, it wasn't his fault for what had happened, but Yami could hardly stop blaming himself; for it was he who attracted Kaiba to do what he did.

With the door closed, the room felt ever warmer, as if secret, unseen energies were already working to ease Yami's fragile body and mind.

He gazed at the bed he was sitting on. In the soul room it hardly looked much different than from the one in the real world.

Yugi came over. He looked haunted, but he was a little more cheerful. "Lay down." He commanded gently. "Go on. It's okay." He added when he saw hurt rise up in the Game's king's eyes.

Yami hesitated. The mere thought of 'lying down' brought on nasty memories of lying on Seto Kaiba's bed with his hands chained to the backrest while the billionaire ravaged what there was to be ravaged. But it was Yugi's hands and not Kaiba's that touched his chest and guided him down to the blankets. And again it was Yugi's warmth and touch and not Kaiba's that softened his panic as arms pulled him close. Yami nuzzled into his light's shoulder and closed his eyes.

The warmth enveloped him utterly and worry escaped him.

Because he had Yugi.

**The End**


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